Any tips or success stories in asking medical schools for more financial aid (without leveraging other acceptances)?

[unclepeanutz]

Wondering if people have found ways to successfully get more financial aid without the well known "using other acceptances" method? Maybe there are certain types of expenses you can bring up that aren't so obvious, etc....

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[KnightDoc]

Wondering if people have found ways to successfully get more financial aid without the well known "using other acceptances" method? Maybe there are certain types of expenses you can bring up that aren't so obvious, etc....

In general, non-obvious expenses are irrelevant to them, because awards are based off their COA, which is the same for everyone, not off whatever unique expenses you might have. With no other offers, there is no leverage to use to go for more merit money. With respect to need-based aid, the only thing you can use, other than other awards, is potentially arguing that your EFC has been miscalculated because your available resources are not as high as they think.

I hope this helps, and I also hope someone will correct me if I am wrong here. For example, if you have expenses that are not included in the COA, like child care, a car, extraordinary personal or travel expenses, taking care of disabled relatives, etc., I have never heard of any school funding that by giving additional grant money, or even certifying student loans, in excess of the COA. The COA is a standard estimate that is used for everyone. Actual expenses will either be above or below, depending on lifestyle and ability to budget, but schools don't usually entertain requests for funding in excess of it.

 

[unclepeanutz]

Thanks for the advice KnightDoc!

 

[KnightDoc]

Thanks for the advice KnightDoc!

My pleasure. Please report back if anyone has success stories based on individual expenses.

 

[deleted1130967]

Ideally, you would have another aid offer, but I don’t think negotiation is over for you if you don’t. Simply saying you really want to go there, they’re your top school, but another school, ideally equal or higher ranked, has a lower COA (ex. public or in-state school), regardless if you got any aid from them or not, imo could be used as leverage. Though it’s a bit weaker than getting actual aid from another school.

 

[KnightDoc]

Ideally, you would have another aid offer, but I don’t think negotiation is over for you if you don’t. Simply saying you really want to go there, they’re your top school, but another school, ideally equal or higher ranked, has a lower COA, regardless if you got any aid form them or not, imo could be used as leverage. Though it’s a bit weaker than getting actual aid from another school.

The problem with this is that the school is already theoretically meeting need, so the fact that someplace in the middle of nowhere has a lower cost of living than a big city, for example, is not going to motivate a big city school that already thinks it is meeting financial need to bring its cost of living down to that of a lower cost part of the country. That seems like a non-starter to me as a negotiation tactic. I'd go back to trying to argue that my need is greater than they calculate, as opposed to my want. JMHO.

The best example of this is expensive private schools vs. equal or higher ranked IS public schools. Public schools receive public subsidies, and, for IS applicants, are almost always less expensive than private alternatives. As a result, plenty of applicants turn down expensive private schools in favor of equal, higher and lower ranked public schools every year. Private schools just don't match, or even come close, unless they are meeting calculated need or chasing you with a merit scholarship. If they did, all schools would cost the same as the lowest cost schools in the country!

 

[unclepeanutz]

Ideally, you would have another aid offer, but I don’t think negotiation is over for you if you don’t. Simply saying you really want to go there, they’re your top school, but another school, ideally equal or higher ranked, has a lower COA (ex. public or in-state school), regardless if you got any aid from them or not, imo could be used as leverage. Though it’s a bit weaker than getting actual aid from another school.

Ya I don’t have another acceptance so that won’t work for me either

 

[KnightDoc]

Ya I don’t have another acceptance so that won’t work for me either

In that case, my dad's favorite expression is "beggars can't be choosers." Do you have any other prospects? If so, as difficult as it is, my advice is to sit tight for a few weeks and wait to see if anything else comes in.

If not, did you receive ANY need-based aid? If so, all you can do is ask for a reconsideration of your EFC. If not, or if that fails, welcome to the club! If the school is the one I am thinking of, no, they are not known for great aid for most people, because they try to spread it around and give something to everyone.

Med school is insanely expensive, but the good news is that you are going to be a doctor, are going to be able to borrow every penny you reasonably need, and will have a sufficient income in the future to pay it all back, with interest. It will suck, but you are good to make a decent income and have a very decent life. CONGRATULATIONS!!!!

 

[unclepeanutz]

In that case, my dad's favorite expression is "beggars can't be choosers." Do you have any other prospects? If so, as difficult as it is, my advice is to sit tight for a few weeks and wait to see if anything else comes in.

If not, did you receive ANY need-based aid? If so, all you can do is ask for a reconsideration of your EFC. If not, or if that fails, welcome to the club! If the school is the one I am thinking of, no, they are not known for great aid for most people, because they try to spread it around and give something to everyone.

Med school is insanely expensive, but the good news is that you are going to be a doctor, are going to be able to borrow every penny you reasonably need, and will have a sufficient income in the future to pay it all back, with interest. It will suck, but you are good to make a decent income and have a very decent life. CONGRATULATIONS!!!!

Im on a couple waitlists. Hopefully I get off early enough to be able to negotiate a bit lol. Happy regardless

 

[KnightDoc]

Im on a couple waitlists. Hopefully I get off early enough to be able to negotiate a bit lol. Happy regardless

Don't forget, you can always try to negotiate even after getting off WLs, even after 5/1. You didn't say whether or not what you were trying to negotiate was need-based on not.

It makes a BIG difference, especially with respect to WL movement. Many schools that meet need will do so even for people coming off the WL, but merit money is rare for people coming off the WL, since the power dynamic is very different for people begging to be pulled from a WL than for people initially being courted by the schools.

 

[unclepeanutz]

Don't forget, you can always try to negotiate even after getting off WLs, even after 5/1. You didn't say whether or not what you were trying to negotiate was need-based on not.

It makes a BIG difference, especially with respect to WL movement. Many schools that meet need will do so even for people coming off the WL, but merit money is rare for people coming off the WL, since the power dynamic is very different for people begging to be pulled from a WL than for people initially being courted by the schools.

Ya that makes sense. Thanks again